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Vulnerable Groups At More Risk To Acquire Flu Than the General Populace

`Flu can Kill' is the message that the UK's Department of Health is publicizing these days. There is an array of people in the department's list, which needs to get flu vaccination.

In their list, first category is of the expatriates with international health care. These people are at increased risk of being trapped by the illness and are 11 times more likely to lose their lives due to influenza.

Then comes neurological condition patients like multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. These people are even at more risk of being affected by the influenza, and their risk chance is about 40 times higher than expatriates.

Forget about those who are undergoing any medical treatment as they are at 7 times more risk than neurological patients. For them, disease could be quite taxing and they could even lose their lives as well.

Expecting mothers are also at great risk, as their body is passing through numerous changes which make their body scrawny and susceptible to other diseases including influenza.

Dame Sally Davies, who is Chief Medical Officer, has suggested that those people, who are vulnerable and are already suffering from other problems should get flu jab. Influenza would harm them more than it would do to general population.

The Department of Health has also revealed in their report that only one in the group of three has come forth to get himself vaccinated and only 14% pregnant women, till now have got flu vaccination.

It is quite appreciative on the part of elderly citizen that more than 50% of them have received vaccination, said Davies. But such appreciation could not be given to people, who are less than 65 years as only 32% of them have received vaccination.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has publicized about three people, who have been admitted to emergency ward due to influenza.